Philip, my husband, needed the car so I decided to take my Offshore 8m Karima S from Aith to Brae, where I teach sailing. Last time had been a bit off-putting as my engine had refused to start outside Brae marina, and I'd had to sail into the berth. Still, it had run nicely all the way home, and if it was playing up when I got down to the boat, Plan B was go into town with Philip, drive to Brae, leap from the water back into the car and rush to retrieve him and his music gear from outside the Methodist Kirk.
The morning forecast looked good: a Force 3 from the south-west to take me there. I zoomed home from the school where I worked and headed boatwards, just catching the forecast: Force 4 to 5, and drizzle later. Hmmm; a bit breezier than I'd like, but the Met Office always gave a force more than I'd get in sheltered Aith voe, and the pattern for the last fortnight had been for the wind to fall in the evening - indeed, I'd warned Philip not to worry if I was late, as I'd be dawdling home on a dying wind.
I checked the fuel: perilously low, after last week's journey home, but enough to get me into and out of both marinas, if I sailed the rest of the way.
It was a lovely sail up. We swooshed silently along at five knots on glittering blue water, with the wind warm on my back, and black and white guillemots raising their auk bills to inspect us. I let Karima sail herself while I ducked below to make a cup of cocoa and dig out oatcakes from the supply locker.
This story is from the September 2022 edition of Practical Boat Owner.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2022 edition of Practical Boat Owner.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Shearwater sloop sailing in the 1960s
Genevieve Leaper shares her late father John Leaper's recollections-compiled from handwritten notes-of cruising the Channel
Timing an Atlantic crossing
Professional meteorologist and sailor Chris Tibbs shares his knowledge of how to choose the best time to sail 'across the pond'
Transatlantic first
It's 70 years since Ann Davison became the first woman to sail solo across the Atlantic. Katy Stickland looks back at her achievement
Going dizzy on an island sailing odyssey
Ken Fowler becomes the first sailor to circumnavigate every island in England and Wales-and all done in a 4m dinghy!
Boats for coastal cruising
Duncan Kent chooses a selection of the best sail and motor boats under 40ft most suitable for adventurous cruising along the coast
Industry view on HVO
The RYA, IWA and CA are working to help recreational boating transition to a Net Zero future, as the CA's
HVO RENEWABLE DIESEL Myth or miracle?
A new generation of biofuel that's cleaner, greener, better for your engine and less prone to microbial growth sounds too good to be true... but the facts beg to differ
Little ships and the wrong sort of waves
Why the correct manoeuvres for the sea conditions will reduce hogging and sagging stress on both ship and crew
Watching boats, saving jerseys
It's amazing what you can see from a hospital window if it's the right hospital
Sweating the mooring asset
Sam Llewellyn looks at ways of getting top value out of his boat's swinging mooring